Allied Health Professionals
Allied Health is a term used to describe the broad range of health professionals who are not doctors or nurses. As part of your cancer journey you may see one or more of our Allied Health professionals.
Nutrition and Dietetics
A dietician will help guide you with the best food choices to help manage any side effects you experience, with the goal of helping you maintain your weight during treatment.
Unplanned weight loss can result in fatigue and lack of strength and energy. It can also impact on accuracy of your planned treatment.
Patients identified as high nutritional risk due to certain tumour types and treatment plans are automatically referred to us. For all other patients please discuss any concerns with your diet or weight with your Nurse or Cancer Care Coordinator who can organise a referral if required.
Resources
Occupational Therapy
Cancer treatment may impact your ability to manage everyday tasks at home and work either physically or mentally.
Occupational therapists are available to help patients to participate in everyday tasks by providing strategies for management of cancer related fatigue, sleep concerns, memory difficulties and a range of other factors which may limit participation in everyday tasks. Occupational therapists are also able to assist in the management of cancer related lymphoedema.
Patients can be referred to the occupational therapy service by their oncologist or cancer care coordinator.
If you are having difficulties managing your day to day activities, please ask any member of your treating team to send a referral through to the Occupational Therapy Department.
Resources
Pharmacy
Pharmacy provides high quality and efficient clinical pharmacy, chemotherapy and prescription services to Cancer Care patients across Metro North.
The Cancer Care Pharmacy comprises of a dedicated team of highly trained Cancer Care pharmacists and pharmacy assistants who specialise in providing expert clinical care, advice, education, chemotherapy compounding, consultation and dispensary services for inpatients and outpatients.
Physiotherapy
Patients may develop problems with movement due to surgical or tumour position. Our physiotherapy team can help with painful, stiff joints, lymphedema, and difficulties with balance or walking.
If you want to speak with a physiotherapist, please ask any member of the cancer care team to send a referral through to the support services team.
Psychology
Managing mental and emotional wellbeing during cancer treatment is very important. We are here to find solutions to help you adjust to your cancer experience.
If you are experiencing ongoing distress please ask any member of the cancer care team to send a referral through to the support services team.
Social Work
A cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming and may impact many aspects of your life, not just your physical health. Social Workers are experienced and qualified professionals who can assist to enhance your social and emotional well-being. With a focus on holistic care, we do this by:
- Listening to you about the things that matter most to enable you to live a meaningful life
- Providing information that will assist you to make decisions affecting your health and well-being. This may include arranging family meetings with your doctor to discuss your treatment plan and any concerns you may have.
- Understanding what is important to you about your care and supporting you to make choices that are right for you. This entails conversations regarding advance care planning such as appointing an EPOA, AHD and Statement of Choices
- Assisting you to access resources such relationship, parenting, carers, aged, disability, legal and financial supports
- Co-ordinating referrals to community based support services to assist you and those who care for you to manage at home
- Discussing with you about future care planning and assisting you to make decisions that reflect your values and personal preferences
- Supporting those who may be approaching the end of their life and the people who care about them in their bereavement
Referral to social work
Social Workers are available Monday to Friday 8.00am–4.30pm.
Inpatient referral – you can self-refer by letting any member of your health care team know you would like to speak with a Social Worker. At the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) you need first to be allocated to a Cancer Care Consultant.
Outpatient referral – Social Work appointments are available to support Cancer Care patients at RBWH, The Prince Charles Hospital and Redcliffe Hospital. Please let any member of your health care team know if you would like to speak with a Social Worker.
Resources
- Cancer Council Queensland Phone: 13 11 20
- Leukaemia Foundation Phone: 1800 620 420
- Centrelink Phone: 13 27 17 (Disability, Sickness, Carers)
- Cancer Council Head and Neck Support Group Phone: 13 11 20
- Carers Queensland Phone: 1800 242 636
- Commonwealth Carers Respite Phone: 1800 052 222
Speech Pathology
The side effects of treatment to head and neck cancers can impact significantly on your voice and ability to swallow. Our aim is to continue to have you eating and exercising your swallowing muscles throughout radiation treatment and have you enjoying eating as soon as possible.
All head and neck cancer patients have weekly appointments starting from the beginning of their treatment. If you wish to speak with a social worker, please ask any member of the cancer care team to send a referral through to the support services team.
Welfare Workers
The welfare team provide practical assistance and support across a broad spectrum of issues to patients and their carers receiving active treatment at Cancer Care Services.